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MLA Style
MLA Style is the most common way to write and cite sources in Liberal Arts and Humanities. It features in-text citations linked to an alphabetical list on the work cited page at the end of the paper. MLA Style follows a strategic format regarding margins, text space, text size, and headings. Guidelines In order for a paper to be considered MLA format, it must be typed through word processor on 8.5 X 11 inch white paper. It should be double spaced with a 12 point font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. The document should have 1 inch margins on all sides. The first line in each new paragraph should be indented through the tab key. After each sentence, only one space is needed, unless otherwise instructed. A header must be included containing the author's last name and current page number, located in the top right hand corner. "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Formatting On the first page of an MLA paper, there are two spots where the author is identified. The first spot is in the top right hand corner, in the heading section, is the author's last name and current page number. The second spot is in the top left corner. This is where the author's full name will be listed, instructor's name, class, and due date. It should look like this: First Name Last Name Instructor Name Class Name (section and/or class times) Due Date (day month year) Directly underneath, centered, should be the title of the paper. The title follows the standard capitalization rules and should be in regular, 12 point font, not underlined, italicized, or bolded. The running header should have a 1/2 inch margin, while the rest of the paper should have 1 inch margins. USF Writing Center. "MLA Format and In-Text Citation." USF Main Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. In-text Citation Whether directly stated or paraphrased, work inside a paper needs to be given credit from the original source. Sources can literally come from anything: books, websites, journals, articles, etc. To give the author of that source credit, an in-text citation is required. This is a brief reference to the source of others writers' words or ideas. There are several different ways to cite within the paper depending on what information is provided. *One work by ONE author WITH a page number: In parentheses at the end of the sentence, include the author's last name and the page number you found the information. For Example, One of the paradoxes of democracy is that "individual freedom is possible when there is a discipline regulated by the society" (Doe 23). *One work by ONE author WITHOUT a page number: Include just the author's last name inside the parentheses. *One work by up to THREE authors with page numbers: cite all the authors. For example, (Doe, Smith, and Williams 183-84). *Electronic and other non-print sources without page numbers: Try to give the section or paragraph number and indicate that the number does not refer to a page. You don't need to give a page number for a one-page source. For example, (Doe, par 3) or (Myth of Poverty, sec 3). *Indirect Source: This happens when the author will quote another author or text. In the citation, include qtd. to specify where the information came from. For example, Researchers Botan and McCreadie point out that "workers are objects off information collection without participating in the process of exchanging the information..." (qtd. in KIzza and Ssanyu 14). *Personal Communication: You do not need to create a separate bibliographic entry for it in the works cited section. To cite within the paper, follow this example: In an email John Brown sent me, he asserted that "global warming is not just a fact, it is the most severe threat to mankind" (July 13, 2007). USF Writing Center. "MLA Format and In-Text Citation." USF Main Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. Work Cited Page For readers to find more information on the work that is cited within a paper, they refer back to the work cited page. A work cited page is required in an MLA style paper, which is an alphabetical list of bibliographic entries for each work referred to within the text. This page begins on a separate page at the end of the paper. It contains the same margins and headings as the rest of the paper. The title is simply Works Cited, which is located at the top of the paper, in the center, typed in regular font. It should not be highlighted, italicized, bolded, or underlined. All citations are double spaced and the second line of the citation should have a hanging indent. All citations are in ABC order to make identification easy. The author's name, title of work (italicized), special information such as edition, translation, volume, etc., place of publication, date of publication, and indication of where the source originates from, like print or web, should all be included in the citation on the work cited page. "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. *Example **Doyle, Arthur Conan. The Oxford Sherlock Holmes. Ed. Own Dudley Edwards. 9 vols. New York: Oxford UP, 1993. Print. USF Writing Center. "MLA Format and In-Text Citation." USF Main Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. References